Students read more than 6 million words and 10,000 books during thousands of hours of sharpening their literacy skills with Footsteps2Brilliance interactive, bilingual app.
RIVERSIDE – During the summer of 2024, Christian Osuna-Angel had a checklist for what he wanted to accomplish before starting 4th grade at Corona Ranch Elementary School in the Corona-Norco Unified School District.
One of the items on his checklist was to participate in Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez’s Superintendent’s Reading Challenge offered by the Riverside County Office of Education. The competition encouraged students from birth to 5th grade to read books through Footsteps2Brilliance, an interactive, bilingual, digital literacy app that is free for all students through the 5th grade in Riverside County.
Christian’s determination resulted in reading more books than any other student in Riverside County during the summer of 2024. In total, he read 502 books, logged 43.76 literacy hours, tallied 231,517 words, played 532 literacy games, and wrote 24 books on the Footsteps2Brilliance app.
In a visit to Christian’s classroom on Tuesday, September 24, Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez, presented Christian with a certificate and a gift card to Amazon.com donated by SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union.
“Students like Christian who committed to improving their individual reading skills over the summer, have returned to school this fall with new language skills, enhanced individual confidence, and a greater understanding of their world unlocked through the power of literacy,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez. “As part of the Literacy by 5th Grade Initiative, all students through the 5th grade in Riverside County can sharpen their literacy skills in English and Spanish using the fun, interactive tools offered by Footsteps2Brilliance.”
Christian’s summer routine included reading books on an iPad and with his school-issued Chromebook. His favorite reading spot was often on the couch at home, but he remained committed to his summer checklist even when he went on vacation to Mexico—using the iPad to read at the hotel at the end of each day. His favorite part of using Footsteps2Brilliance was reading Aesop’s Fables and then taking the quizzes afterward.
“My favorite one is about the wolf in sheep’s clothing because it has animals,” Christian said.
Christian’s participation in the Superintendent’s Summer Reading Challenge also paid dividends for his younger sister, Allison, who had just completed Kindergarten.
“He would pick out books to read aloud to Allison to help her with her reading,” said Mariana Osuna-Angel, Christian and Allison’s mother. “In previous summers, I have put together workbooks for him to continue learning, but that never really worked out. He has always enjoyed reading, so this summer, he had a checklist in his mind that he was going to read with Footsteps2Brilliance every day.”
Honorees who received certificates and gift cards because of their participation in the 2024 Superintendent’s Summer Reading Challenge include:
Christian Osuna-Angel (502 books read)
Corona Ranch Elementary School
Corona-Norco Unified School District
Antonio Coloma (90 books read)
Benjamin Franklin Elementary School
Desert Sands Unified School District
Carlos Kantun Cauich (74 books read)
Margaret White Elementary School
Palo Verde Unified School District
Amancio Rodriguez (22 books read)
Seneca Elementary School
Moreno Valley Unified School District
Rocky Contreras (11 books read)
Young Explorers Academy
Perris Elementary School District
In total, Riverside County students who participated in the program spent more than 2,500 hours reading 6 million words, 10,000 books, playing 36,288 interactive literacy games, and writing 6,052 books of their own.
About the Literacy by 5th Grade Initiative
The Literacy by 5th Grade Initiative, launched in late 2020 by Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez, strives to promote and expand literacy throughout Riverside County. Strong literacy skills are the foundation of all learning and contribute to a student’s ability to graduate from high school academically and socially prepared for college, the workforce, and civic responsibility. Essential literacy skills include the ability to read, write, listen, speak, research, and represent, while thinking critically, creating, collaborating, and communicating with empathy in all content areas. Resources available on the Literacy by 5th Grade Initiative website include access to online books, video tutorials for teachers of reading, recordings of RCOE educators reading to preschool-aged students, and more.
About Footsteps2Brilliance
Footsteps2Brilliance, Inc. is the breakthrough early learning platform that accelerates early literacy achievement by uniting the power of mobile gaming technology with the latest in cognitive research. Footsteps2Brilliance provides enticing, interactive, 24/7 learning experiences that digitally link school and home to give students the edge they need for success in school today and the world tomorrow. For further information contact: info@footsteps2brilliance.com.
About the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE)
RCOE is a service agency supporting the county’s 23 school districts and 500+ schools that serve nearly 430,000 students—more than the student population of 17 states. RCOE services include administrative support to districts and charter schools, programs for preschool, special education, pregnant minor, correctional, migrant, and vocational students. In addition, the organization provides professional training, support, and resources for more than 18,000 teachers, administrators, and staff, throughout the 7,000 square miles of Riverside County. Learn more at www.rcoe.us.
